Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed collections; Comment Request, 46251-46253 [E7-16212]
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Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 159 / Friday, August 17, 2007 / Notices
III. Finding of No Significant Impact
The NRC staff has prepared this final
EA in support of the proposed action to
issue a license to Pa’ina Hawaii for the
possession and use of sealed radioactive
sources in an underwater irradiator for
the production and research irradiation
of food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical
products. On the basis of this EA, NRC
has concluded that there are no
significant environmental impacts and
the license application does not warrant
the preparation of an Environmental
Impact Statement. Accordingly, it has
been determined that a Finding of No
Significant Impact is appropriate.
SUMMARY: Representatives from Time
Inc. will present a briefing on Monday,
August 20, 2007, beginning at 3 p.m., in
the Postal Regulatory Commission’s
main conference room. The briefing will
address delivery service measurement
for certain Periodicals mailings. The
briefing is open to the public.
DATES: August 20, 2007.
ADDRESSES: Postal Regulatory
Commission, 901 New York Avenue,
NW., Suite 200, Washington, DC 20268–
0001.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ann
C. Fisher, chief of staff, Postal
Regulatory Commission, 202–789–6803.
IV. Further Information
Documents related to this action,
including the application for
amendment and supporting
documentation, are available
electronically at the NRC’s Electronic
Reading Room at https://www.nrc.gov/
reading-rm/adams.html. From this site,
you can access the NRC’s Agencywide
Document Access and Management
System (ADAMS), which provides text
and image files of NRC’s public
documents. The ADAMS accession
numbers for the documents related to
this notice are: Pa’ina License
Application, ML052060372; NRC final
Environmental Assessment,
ML071150121. If you do not have access
to ADAMS or if there are problems in
accessing the documents located in
ADAMS, contact the NRC’s Public
Document Room (PDR) Reference staff
at 1–800–397–4209, 301–415–4737, or
by e-mail to pdr@nrc.gov.
These documents may also be viewed
electronically on the public computers
located at the NRC’s PDR, O1–F21, One
White Flint North, 11555 Rockville
Pike, Rockville, MD 20852. The PDR
reproduction contractor will copy
documents for a fee.
Steven W. Williams,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 07–4029 Filed 8–16–07; 8:45 am]
Dated at Rockville, Maryland this 10th day
of August, 2007.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Patricia Swain,
Acting Chief, Environmental Review Branch,
Division of Waste Management and
Environmental Protection, Office of Federal
and State Materials and Environmental
Management Programs.
[FR Doc. E7–16255 Filed 8–16–07; 8:45 am]
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POSTAL REGULATORY COMMISSION
Briefing on Industry Delivery Tracking
System
Postal Regulatory Commission
Notice of briefing.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
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BILLING CODE 7710–FW–M
RAILROAD RETIREMENT BOARD
Agency Information Collection
Activities: Proposed collections;
Comment Request
Summary: In accordance with the
requirement of Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of
the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995
which provides opportunity for public
comment on new or revised data
collections, the Railroad Retirement
Board (RRB) publishes periodic
summaries of proposed data collections.
The information collections numbered
below are pending at RRB and will be
submitted to the Office of Management
and Budget (OMB) 60 days from the
publication date of this notice.
Comments are Invited on: (a) Whether
the proposed information collection(s)
is necessary for the proper performance
of the functions of the agency, including
whether the information has practical
utility; (b) the accuracy of the RRB’s
estimate of the burden of the collection
of the information; (c) ways to enhance
the quality, utility, and clarity of the
information to be collected; and (d)
ways to minimize the burden related to
the collection of information on
respondents, including the use of
automated collection techniques or
other forms of information technology.
1. Title and Purpose of Information
Collection; Railroad Service and
Compensation Reports/System Access
Application; OMB 3220–0008 Under
Section 9 of the Railroad Retirement Act
(RRA) and Section 6 of the Railroad
Unemployment Insurance Act (RUIA)
the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB)
maintains for each railroad employee, a
record of compensation paid to that
employee by all railroad employers for
whom the employee worked after 1936.
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Sfmt 4703
46251
This record, which is used by the RRB
to determine eligibility for, and amount
of, benefits due under the laws it
administers, is conclusive as to the
amount of compensation paid to an
employee during such period(s) covered
by the report(s) of the compensation by
the employee’s railroad employer(s),
except in cases when an employee files
a protest pertaining to his or her
reported compensation within the statue
of limitations cited in Section 9 of the
RRA and Section 6 of the RUIA.
To enable the RRB to establish and
maintain the record of compensation,
employers are required to file with the
RRB, in such manner and form and at
such times as the RRB prescribes,
reports of compensation of employees.
Railroad Employers’ Reports and
Responsibilities are prescribed in 20
CFR 209. The RRB currently utilizes
Form BA–3a, Annual Report of
Compensation and Form BA–4, Report
of Creditable Compensation
Adjustments, to secure required
information from railroad employers.
Form BA–3a provides the RRB with
information regarding annual creditable
service and compensation for each
individual who worked for a railroad
employer covered by the RRA and RUIA
in a given year. Form BA–4 provides for
the adjustment of any previously
submitted reports and also the
opportunity to provide any service and
compensation that had been previously
omitted. Requirements specific to Forms
BA–3a and BA–4 are prescribed in 20
CFR 209.8 and 209.9.
Employers currently have the option
of submitting the reports on the
aforementioned forms, electronically via
the Internet utilizing the RRB’s
Employer Reporting System (ERS) (for
Form BA–4), or in like format on
magnetic tape cartridges, CD–ROM’s
and PC diskettes.
The RRB proposes major changes to
the information collection. They are
intended to streamline the employer
reporting process, ensuring more
accurate and timely reporting, while
eliminating or reducing the employer
reporting burden associated with several
other RRB information collections.
Form BA–3a will be significantly
revised and renamed Form BA–3,
Annual Report of Compensation.
Revisions to proposed Form BA–3
include the expansion of existing data
fields to allow for: the reporting of
amounts for Tier I and Tier II
compensation greater than $99,999.99
(the annual creditable maximum for
Tier I will exceed that amount within
the next two years), RUIA daily pay
amounts of more than $99.99, 4-digit
year fields and an employee’s complete
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Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 159 / Friday, August 17, 2007 / Notices
first and last name. New Items
requesting information regarding sick
pay and miscellaneous compensation,
the employee’s current address,
maximum benefit RUIA compensation,
and employment relationship status for
months not worked will be added.
Data fields for proposed Form BA–4
will be revised to allow for: the
reporting of Tier I and Tier II
compensation greater than $99,999.99
(the annual creditable maximum for
Tier I will exceed that amount within
the next two years), RUIA daily pay rate
amounts of more than $99.99, 4-digit
year fields and an employee’s complete
first and last name. New Items
providing for the reporting of
adjustments to the originally reported
Tier I and Tier II amounts, sick pay,
miscellaneous compensation, RUIA
maximum benefit amounts, and an
employee’s daily pay rate will be added.
The RRB proposes the
implementation of two additional
electronic equivalent methods of
submission for Form BA–3 and Form
BA–4 information: File Transfer
Protocol (FTP) and secure E-mail.
The information collection also
includes RRB Form BA–12, Application
for Employer Reporting Internet Access.
Form BA–12 is completed by railroad
employers to obtain system access to the
RRB’s Employer Reporting System
(ERS). Once access is obtained,
authorized employees may submit
reporting forms to the RRB via the
Internet. The form determines what
degree of access (view/only, data entry/
modification or approval/submission) is
appropriate for that employee. It is also
used to terminate an employee’s access
to ERS. No changes are being proposed
to Form BA–12.
Lastly, the RRB proposes the addition
of new Form G–440, Report
Specifications Sheet, to the collection.
Form G–440 will act as a certification
document for various RRB employer
reporting forms (Forms BA–3, BA–4,
Form BA–6a, BA–6, Address Report
(OMB 3220–0005), BA–9, Report of
Separation Allowance or Severance Pay
(OMB 3220–0173) and BA–11, Report of
Gross Earnings (OMB 3220–0132)). It
will also be used to record the type of
medium the report was submitted on,
and as a summary recapitulation sheet
for reports filed on paper.
The estimated completion times for
Form(s) BA–3, BA–4 and G–440 vary,
depending on circumstances and the
method of submission. The completion
time for Form BA–3 is estimated at 46
hours and 15 minutes per response for
electronic submissions to 116 hours and
51 minutes for manual responses. The
completion time for Form BA–4 is
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15:36 Aug 16, 2007
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estimated at 20 minutes for an ERS
Internet-based response, 60 minutes for
an electronic submission (magnetic tape
cartridge, CD–ROM, diskette, secure Email, FTP) and 75 minutes for a manual
response. The completion time for form
BA–12 is estimated at 10 minutes when
used to terminate system access and 20
minutes when used to obtain system
access. The completion time for
proposed Form G–440 is estimated at 15
minutes when submitted with a paper
form and/or used to file a ‘‘zero’’ or ‘‘no
employees’’ certification, 30 minutes
when used as an electronic medium
reporting/certification form, and 1 hour
and 15 minutes when used as a
certification and recapitulation form.
Submission of Form BA–3, BA–4, and
G–440 is mandatory. Completion of
Form BA–12 is voluntary. It is
completed only if an employer wants to
submit reports via the Internet. One
response is requested of each
respondent for all of the forms in the
collection. Depending on circumstances
and method of submission chosen,
multiple responses will be received
from a respondent for Form BA–4 and
G–440. The annual respondent burden
for the information collection is
estimated at 7,348 responses and 43,756
hours.
2. Title and Purpose of Information
Collection; Employer Reporting, 3220–
0005.
Under Section 9 of the Railroad
Retirement Act (RRA), and Section 6 of
the Railroad Unemployment Insurance
Act (RUIA), railroad employers are
required to submit reports of employee
service and compensation to the RRB as
needed for administering the RRA and
RUIA. To pay benefits due on a
deceased employee’s earnings records or
determine entitlement to, and amount of
annuity applied for, it is necessary at
times to obtain from railroad employers
current (lag) service and compensation
not yet reported to the RRB through the
annual reporting process. The reporting
requirements are specified in 20 CFR
209.6 and 209.7.
The RRB currently utilizes Form G–
88a.1, Notice of Retirement and
Verification of Date Last Worked, Form
G–88a.2, Notice of Retirement and
Request for Service Needed for
Eligibility, and Form AA–12, Notice of
Death and Compensation, to obtain the
required lag service and related
information from railroad employers.
Form G–88a.1 is a computer-generated
listing sent by the RRB to railroad
employers and used for the specific
purpose of verifying information
previously provided to the RRB
regarding the date last worked by an
employee. If the information is correct,
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the employer need not reply. If the
information is incorrect, the employer is
asked to provide corrected information.
Form G–88a.2 is used by the RRB to
secure lag service and compensation
information when it is needed to
determine benefit eligibility. Form AA–
12 obtains a report of lag service and
compensation from the last railroad
employer of a deceased employee. This
report covers the lag period between the
date of the latest record of employment
processed by the RRB and the date an
employee last worked, the date of death
or the date the employee may have been
entitled to benefits under the Social
Security Act. The information is used by
the RRB to determine benefits due on
the deceased employee’s earnings
record. The RRB proposes no changes to
Form AA–12, Form G–88a.1 and Form
G–88a.2.
In addition, 20 CFR 209.12(b) requires
all railroad employers to furnish the
RRB with the home addresses of all
employees hired within the last year
(new-hires). Form BA–6a, Form BA–6
Address Report, is used by the RRB to
obtain home address information of
employees from railroad employers that
do not have the home address
information computerized and who
submit the information in a paper
format. The form also serves as an
instruction sheet to railroad employers
who can also submit the information
electronically by magnetic tape
cartridge, CD–ROM, PC diskette, secure
E-mail, or via the Internet utilizing the
RRB’s Employer Reporting System
(ERS). The RRB proposes changes to
Form BA–6a. An existing data field will
be revised to allow for an employee’s
complete first and last name. A new
item will be added to indicate the date
an employee reported the address to his
employer.
Completion of the forms is
mandatory. One response is requested of
each respondent. The completion time
for Form G–88a.1 is estimated at 5 to 20
minutes. Form G–88a.2 is estimated at
5 minutes per response. The completion
time for Form AA–12 is estimated at 5
minutes per response. The completion
time for Form BA–6a varies, depending
on circumstances and the method of
submission. An Internet-based BA–6a
response utilizing the RRB’s ERS system
is estimated at 12 to 17 minutes. BA–6a
responses submitted via magnetic tape,
diskette, CD–ROM, secure E-mail and
FTP are estimated at 15 minutes. BA–
6a’s responses submitted on manual
form BA–6a are estimated at 32 minutes.
The annual respondent burden for the
information collection is estimated at
1,928 responses and 434 hours.
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3. Title and Purpose of Information
Collection; Railroad Separation
Allowance or Severance Pay Report;
OMB 3220–0173.
Section 6 of the Railroad Retirement
Act provides for a lump-sum payment to
an employee or the employee’s
survivors equal to the Tier II taxes paid
by the employee on a separation
allowance or severance payment for
which the employee did not receive
credits toward retirement. The lumpsum is not payable until retirement
benefits begin to accrue or the employee
dies. Also, Section 4(a–1)(iii) of the
Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act
provides that a railroad employee who
is paid a separation allowance is
disqualified for unemployment and
sickness benefits for the period of time
the employee would have to work to
earn the amount of the allowance. The
reporting requirements are specified in
20 CFR 209.14.
In order to calculate and provide
payments, the Railroad Retirement
Board (RRB) must collect and maintain
records of separation allowances and
severance payments which were subject
to Tier II taxation from railroad
employers. The RRB uses Form BA–9 to
obtain information from railroad
employers concerning the separation
allowances and severance payments
made to railroad employees and/or the
survivors of railroad employees.
Employers currently have the option of
submitting a paper BA–9, or in like
format, a magnetic tape cartridge, CD–
ROM or PC diskette. Completion is
mandatory. One response is requested of
each respondent
The RRB proposes changes to Form
BA–9. Data fields for the proposed Form
BA–9 will be revised to allow for: an
employee’s complete first and last
name, 4-digit year fields, and expanded
yearly compensation fields for Tier II
taxed and Tier II credited amounts.
The RRB also proposes the
implementation of two additional
electronic equivalent methods of
submission for BA–9 information: File
Transfer Protocol (FTP) and secure Email.
The completion time for Form BA–9
and all electronic equivalent methods of
submission is estimated at 1 hour and
16 minutes. The annual respondent
burden for the information collection is
estimated at 360 responses and 458
burden hours.
4. Title and Purpose of Information
Collection; Gross Earnings Report; OMB
3220–0132.
In order to carry out the financial
interchange provisions of section 7(c)(2)
of the Railroad Retirement Act (RRA),
the RRB obtains annually from railroad
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15:36 Aug 16, 2007
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employer’s the gross earnings for their
employees on a one-percent basis, i.e.,
1% of each employer’s railroad
employees. The gross earnings sample is
based on the earnings of employees
whose social security numbers end with
the digits ‘‘30.’’ The gross earnings are
used to compute payroll taxes under the
financial interchange.
The gross earnings information is
essential in determining the tax
amounts involved in the financial
interchange with the Social Security
Administration and Centers for
Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Besides being necessary for current
financial interchange calculations, the
gross earnings file tabulations are also
an integral part of the data needed to
estimate future tax income and
corresponding financial interchange
amounts. These estimates are made for
internal use and to satisfy requests from
other government agencies and
interested groups. In addition, cash flow
projections of the social security
equivalent benefit account, railroad
retirement account and cost estimates
made for proposed amendments to laws
administered by the RRB are dependent
on input developed from the
information collection.
The RRB utilizes Form BA–11 or its
electronic equivalent(s) to obtain gross
earnings information from railroad
employers. Employers currently have
the option of preparing and submitting
BA–11 reports on paper, or in like
format on magnetic tape cartridges and
PC diskettes. Completion is mandatory.
One response is requested of each
respondent.
The RRB proposes changes to Form
BA–11 to add an additional item for an
employer’s name and to expand an
existing item to allow for the reporting
of an employee’s complete first and last
name. The RRB also proposes the
implementation of two additional
electronic equivalent methods of
submission for BA–11information: File
Transfer Protocol (FTP) and secure Email.
The RRB estimates the completion
time for BA–11 information as follows:
5 hours for BA–11 responses submitted
via File Transfer Protocol and magnetic
tape and 30 minutes for BA–11’s
submitted via paper, diskette, and
secure E-mail. The annual respondent
burden for the information collection is
estimated at 168 responses and 107
burden hours.
Additional Information or Comments:
To request more information regarding
any of the information collections listed
above or to obtain copies of the
information collection justifications,
forms, and/or supporting material,
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46253
please call the RRB Clearance Officer at
(312) 751–3363 or send an e-mail
request to Charles.Mierzwa@RRB.GOV.
Comments regarding the information
collections should be sent to Ronald J.
Hodapp, Railroad Retirement Board, 844
North Rush Street, Chicago, Illinois
60611–2092 or via an e-mail to
Ronald.Hodapp@RRB.GOV, and to the
Office of Management Budget at ATTN:
Desk Officer for RRB, FAX : (202) 395–
6974 or via E-mail to
OIRA_Submission@omb.eop.gov.
Comments should be received within 60
days of this notice.
Charles Mierzwa,
Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. E7–16212 Filed 8–16–07; 9:41 am]
BILLING CODE 7905–01–P
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE
COMMISSION
[Release No. 34–56238; File No. SR–Amex–
2007–24]
Self-Regulatory Organizations;
American Stock Exchange LLC; Notice
of Filing of a Proposed Rule Change
and Amendment No. 1 Thereto to
Retroactively Amend Transaction
Charges for Equities, ETFs, and
Nasdaq UTP Securities
August 10, 2007.
Pursuant to section 19(b)(1) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934
(‘‘Act’’) 1 and Rule 19b–4 thereunder,2
notice is hereby given that on February
22, 2007, the American Stock Exchange
LLC (‘‘Amex’’ or ‘‘Exchange’’) filed with
the Securities and Exchange
Commission (‘‘Commission’’) the
proposed rule change as described in
Items I, II, and III below, which Items
have been substantially prepared by the
Exchange. On August 10, 2007, the
Exchange filed Amendment No. 1 to the
proposed rule change. The Commission
is publishing this notice to solicit
comments on the proposed rule change,
as amended, from interested persons.
I. Self-Regulatory Organization’s
Statement of the Terms of Substance of
the Proposed Rule Change
The Exchange proposes to
retroactively apply the revised equities,
Exchange Traded Funds and Trust
Issued Receipts (‘‘ETFs’’) and Nasdaq
UTP Fee Schedules (collectively, the
‘‘Fee Schedule’’) to transactions in
equities, ETFs and Nasdaq UTP
securities from January 2, 2007 through
February 21, 2007.
1 15
2 17
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U.S.C. 78s(b)(1).
CFR 240.19b–4.
17AUN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 159 (Friday, August 17, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46251-46253]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-16212]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
RAILROAD RETIREMENT BOARD
Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed collections;
Comment Request
Summary: In accordance with the requirement of Section
3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 which provides
opportunity for public comment on new or revised data collections, the
Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) publishes periodic summaries of
proposed data collections. The information collections numbered below
are pending at RRB and will be submitted to the Office of Management
and Budget (OMB) 60 days from the publication date of this notice.
Comments are Invited on: (a) Whether the proposed information
collection(s) is necessary for the proper performance of the functions
of the agency, including whether the information has practical utility;
(b) the accuracy of the RRB's estimate of the burden of the collection
of the information; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and
clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize
the burden related to the collection of information on respondents,
including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of
information technology.
1. Title and Purpose of Information Collection; Railroad Service
and Compensation Reports/System Access Application; OMB 3220-0008 Under
Section 9 of the Railroad Retirement Act (RRA) and Section 6 of the
Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act (RUIA) the Railroad Retirement
Board (RRB) maintains for each railroad employee, a record of
compensation paid to that employee by all railroad employers for whom
the employee worked after 1936. This record, which is used by the RRB
to determine eligibility for, and amount of, benefits due under the
laws it administers, is conclusive as to the amount of compensation
paid to an employee during such period(s) covered by the report(s) of
the compensation by the employee's railroad employer(s), except in
cases when an employee files a protest pertaining to his or her
reported compensation within the statue of limitations cited in Section
9 of the RRA and Section 6 of the RUIA.
To enable the RRB to establish and maintain the record of
compensation, employers are required to file with the RRB, in such
manner and form and at such times as the RRB prescribes, reports of
compensation of employees. Railroad Employers' Reports and
Responsibilities are prescribed in 20 CFR 209. The RRB currently
utilizes Form BA-3a, Annual Report of Compensation and Form BA-4,
Report of Creditable Compensation Adjustments, to secure required
information from railroad employers. Form BA-3a provides the RRB with
information regarding annual creditable service and compensation for
each individual who worked for a railroad employer covered by the RRA
and RUIA in a given year. Form BA-4 provides for the adjustment of any
previously submitted reports and also the opportunity to provide any
service and compensation that had been previously omitted. Requirements
specific to Forms BA-3a and BA-4 are prescribed in 20 CFR 209.8 and
209.9.
Employers currently have the option of submitting the reports on
the aforementioned forms, electronically via the Internet utilizing the
RRB's Employer Reporting System (ERS) (for Form BA-4), or in like
format on magnetic tape cartridges, CD-ROM's and PC diskettes.
The RRB proposes major changes to the information collection. They
are intended to streamline the employer reporting process, ensuring
more accurate and timely reporting, while eliminating or reducing the
employer reporting burden associated with several other RRB information
collections.
Form BA-3a will be significantly revised and renamed Form BA-3,
Annual Report of Compensation. Revisions to proposed Form BA-3 include
the expansion of existing data fields to allow for: the reporting of
amounts for Tier I and Tier II compensation greater than $99,999.99
(the annual creditable maximum for Tier I will exceed that amount
within the next two years), RUIA daily pay amounts of more than $99.99,
4-digit year fields and an employee's complete
[[Page 46252]]
first and last name. New Items requesting information regarding sick
pay and miscellaneous compensation, the employee's current address,
maximum benefit RUIA compensation, and employment relationship status
for months not worked will be added.
Data fields for proposed Form BA-4 will be revised to allow for:
the reporting of Tier I and Tier II compensation greater than
$99,999.99 (the annual creditable maximum for Tier I will exceed that
amount within the next two years), RUIA daily pay rate amounts of more
than $99.99, 4-digit year fields and an employee's complete first and
last name. New Items providing for the reporting of adjustments to the
originally reported Tier I and Tier II amounts, sick pay, miscellaneous
compensation, RUIA maximum benefit amounts, and an employee's daily pay
rate will be added.
The RRB proposes the implementation of two additional electronic
equivalent methods of submission for Form BA-3 and Form BA-4
information: File Transfer Protocol (FTP) and secure E-mail.
The information collection also includes RRB Form BA-12,
Application for Employer Reporting Internet Access. Form BA-12 is
completed by railroad employers to obtain system access to the RRB's
Employer Reporting System (ERS). Once access is obtained, authorized
employees may submit reporting forms to the RRB via the Internet. The
form determines what degree of access (view/only, data entry/
modification or approval/submission) is appropriate for that employee.
It is also used to terminate an employee's access to ERS. No changes
are being proposed to Form BA-12.
Lastly, the RRB proposes the addition of new Form G-440, Report
Specifications Sheet, to the collection. Form G-440 will act as a
certification document for various RRB employer reporting forms (Forms
BA-3, BA-4, Form BA-6a, BA-6, Address Report (OMB 3220-0005), BA-9,
Report of Separation Allowance or Severance Pay (OMB 3220-0173) and BA-
11, Report of Gross Earnings (OMB 3220-0132)). It will also be used to
record the type of medium the report was submitted on, and as a summary
recapitulation sheet for reports filed on paper.
The estimated completion times for Form(s) BA-3, BA-4 and G-440
vary, depending on circumstances and the method of submission. The
completion time for Form BA-3 is estimated at 46 hours and 15 minutes
per response for electronic submissions to 116 hours and 51 minutes for
manual responses. The completion time for Form BA-4 is estimated at 20
minutes for an ERS Internet-based response, 60 minutes for an
electronic submission (magnetic tape cartridge, CD-ROM, diskette,
secure E-mail, FTP) and 75 minutes for a manual response. The
completion time for form BA-12 is estimated at 10 minutes when used to
terminate system access and 20 minutes when used to obtain system
access. The completion time for proposed Form G-440 is estimated at 15
minutes when submitted with a paper form and/or used to file a ``zero''
or ``no employees'' certification, 30 minutes when used as an
electronic medium reporting/certification form, and 1 hour and 15
minutes when used as a certification and recapitulation form.
Submission of Form BA-3, BA-4, and G-440 is mandatory. Completion of
Form BA-12 is voluntary. It is completed only if an employer wants to
submit reports via the Internet. One response is requested of each
respondent for all of the forms in the collection. Depending on
circumstances and method of submission chosen, multiple responses will
be received from a respondent for Form BA-4 and G-440. The annual
respondent burden for the information collection is estimated at 7,348
responses and 43,756 hours.
2. Title and Purpose of Information Collection; Employer Reporting,
3220-0005.
Under Section 9 of the Railroad Retirement Act (RRA), and Section 6
of the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act (RUIA), railroad employers
are required to submit reports of employee service and compensation to
the RRB as needed for administering the RRA and RUIA. To pay benefits
due on a deceased employee's earnings records or determine entitlement
to, and amount of annuity applied for, it is necessary at times to
obtain from railroad employers current (lag) service and compensation
not yet reported to the RRB through the annual reporting process. The
reporting requirements are specified in 20 CFR 209.6 and 209.7.
The RRB currently utilizes Form G-88a.1, Notice of Retirement and
Verification of Date Last Worked, Form G-88a.2, Notice of Retirement
and Request for Service Needed for Eligibility, and Form AA-12, Notice
of Death and Compensation, to obtain the required lag service and
related information from railroad employers. Form G-88a.1 is a
computer-generated listing sent by the RRB to railroad employers and
used for the specific purpose of verifying information previously
provided to the RRB regarding the date last worked by an employee. If
the information is correct, the employer need not reply. If the
information is incorrect, the employer is asked to provide corrected
information. Form G-88a.2 is used by the RRB to secure lag service and
compensation information when it is needed to determine benefit
eligibility. Form AA-12 obtains a report of lag service and
compensation from the last railroad employer of a deceased employee.
This report covers the lag period between the date of the latest record
of employment processed by the RRB and the date an employee last
worked, the date of death or the date the employee may have been
entitled to benefits under the Social Security Act. The information is
used by the RRB to determine benefits due on the deceased employee's
earnings record. The RRB proposes no changes to Form AA-12, Form G-
88a.1 and Form G-88a.2.
In addition, 20 CFR 209.12(b) requires all railroad employers to
furnish the RRB with the home addresses of all employees hired within
the last year (new-hires). Form BA-6a, Form BA-6 Address Report, is
used by the RRB to obtain home address information of employees from
railroad employers that do not have the home address information
computerized and who submit the information in a paper format. The form
also serves as an instruction sheet to railroad employers who can also
submit the information electronically by magnetic tape cartridge, CD-
ROM, PC diskette, secure E-mail, or via the Internet utilizing the
RRB's Employer Reporting System (ERS). The RRB proposes changes to Form
BA-6a. An existing data field will be revised to allow for an
employee's complete first and last name. A new item will be added to
indicate the date an employee reported the address to his employer.
Completion of the forms is mandatory. One response is requested of
each respondent. The completion time for Form G-88a.1 is estimated at 5
to 20 minutes. Form G-88a.2 is estimated at 5 minutes per response. The
completion time for Form AA-12 is estimated at 5 minutes per response.
The completion time for Form BA-6a varies, depending on circumstances
and the method of submission. An Internet-based BA-6a response
utilizing the RRB's ERS system is estimated at 12 to 17 minutes. BA-6a
responses submitted via magnetic tape, diskette, CD-ROM, secure E-mail
and FTP are estimated at 15 minutes. BA-6a's responses submitted on
manual form BA-6a are estimated at 32 minutes. The annual respondent
burden for the information collection is estimated at 1,928 responses
and 434 hours.
[[Page 46253]]
3. Title and Purpose of Information Collection; Railroad Separation
Allowance or Severance Pay Report; OMB 3220-0173.
Section 6 of the Railroad Retirement Act provides for a lump-sum
payment to an employee or the employee's survivors equal to the Tier II
taxes paid by the employee on a separation allowance or severance
payment for which the employee did not receive credits toward
retirement. The lump-sum is not payable until retirement benefits begin
to accrue or the employee dies. Also, Section 4(a-1)(iii) of the
Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act provides that a railroad employee
who is paid a separation allowance is disqualified for unemployment and
sickness benefits for the period of time the employee would have to
work to earn the amount of the allowance. The reporting requirements
are specified in 20 CFR 209.14.
In order to calculate and provide payments, the Railroad Retirement
Board (RRB) must collect and maintain records of separation allowances
and severance payments which were subject to Tier II taxation from
railroad employers. The RRB uses Form BA-9 to obtain information from
railroad employers concerning the separation allowances and severance
payments made to railroad employees and/or the survivors of railroad
employees. Employers currently have the option of submitting a paper
BA-9, or in like format, a magnetic tape cartridge, CD-ROM or PC
diskette. Completion is mandatory. One response is requested of each
respondent
The RRB proposes changes to Form BA-9. Data fields for the proposed
Form BA-9 will be revised to allow for: an employee's complete first
and last name, 4-digit year fields, and expanded yearly compensation
fields for Tier II taxed and Tier II credited amounts.
The RRB also proposes the implementation of two additional
electronic equivalent methods of submission for BA-9 information: File
Transfer Protocol (FTP) and secure E-mail.
The completion time for Form BA-9 and all electronic equivalent
methods of submission is estimated at 1 hour and 16 minutes. The annual
respondent burden for the information collection is estimated at 360
responses and 458 burden hours.
4. Title and Purpose of Information Collection; Gross Earnings
Report; OMB 3220-0132.
In order to carry out the financial interchange provisions of
section 7(c)(2) of the Railroad Retirement Act (RRA), the RRB obtains
annually from railroad employer's the gross earnings for their
employees on a one-percent basis, i.e., 1% of each employer's railroad
employees. The gross earnings sample is based on the earnings of
employees whose social security numbers end with the digits ``30.'' The
gross earnings are used to compute payroll taxes under the financial
interchange.
The gross earnings information is essential in determining the tax
amounts involved in the financial interchange with the Social Security
Administration and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Besides
being necessary for current financial interchange calculations, the
gross earnings file tabulations are also an integral part of the data
needed to estimate future tax income and corresponding financial
interchange amounts. These estimates are made for internal use and to
satisfy requests from other government agencies and interested groups.
In addition, cash flow projections of the social security equivalent
benefit account, railroad retirement account and cost estimates made
for proposed amendments to laws administered by the RRB are dependent
on input developed from the information collection.
The RRB utilizes Form BA-11 or its electronic equivalent(s) to
obtain gross earnings information from railroad employers. Employers
currently have the option of preparing and submitting BA-11 reports on
paper, or in like format on magnetic tape cartridges and PC diskettes.
Completion is mandatory. One response is requested of each respondent.
The RRB proposes changes to Form BA-11 to add an additional item
for an employer's name and to expand an existing item to allow for the
reporting of an employee's complete first and last name. The RRB also
proposes the implementation of two additional electronic equivalent
methods of submission for BA-11information: File Transfer Protocol
(FTP) and secure E-mail.
The RRB estimates the completion time for BA-11 information as
follows: 5 hours for BA-11 responses submitted via File Transfer
Protocol and magnetic tape and 30 minutes for BA-11's submitted via
paper, diskette, and secure E-mail. The annual respondent burden for
the information collection is estimated at 168 responses and 107 burden
hours.
Additional Information or Comments: To request more information
regarding any of the information collections listed above or to obtain
copies of the information collection justifications, forms, and/or
supporting material, please call the RRB Clearance Officer at (312)
751-3363 or send an e-mail request to Charles.Mierzwa@RRB.GOV.
Comments regarding the information collections should be sent to
Ronald J. Hodapp, Railroad Retirement Board, 844 North Rush Street,
Chicago, Illinois 60611-2092 or via an e-mail to Ronald.Hodapp@RRB.GOV,
and to the Office of Management Budget at ATTN: Desk Officer for RRB,
FAX : (202) 395-6974 or via E-mail to OIRA--Submission@omb.eop.gov.
Comments should be received within 60 days of this notice.
Charles Mierzwa,
Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. E7-16212 Filed 8-16-07; 9:41 am]
BILLING CODE 7905-01-P
